A Savior is Born: Luke 2:8-14

In the space-time continuum that is human history, today we come to the fulfillment of the prophecies that had been foretold: our Savior's birth. In Luke 2:8-14 we read of the angels' appearance to the lowly shepherds in the fields around Bethlehem, to announce the Savior's birth.

Isn't it typical of God to reveal Himself to those whom the world would likely view as "insignificant"? And this revelation to the shepherds was not trivial either. Luke states that the "glory of the Lord" was around them, and that's why they were terrified. That "glory" was typically in the form of a cloud, a burning fire, or a bright light, the latter which would have been especially terrifying in the night. More than that, after the initial announcement of our Savior's birth by an "angel of the Lord," a host (probably thousands) of angels appeared to the shepherds to bring glory to God and to proclaim peace to those with which God is pleased.

The purveyors of modern culture would have no idea as to why the Savior's birth and its announcement would be to such a numerically limited and lowly audience (shepherds). I mean, listen to Judas diatribe against Jesus from "Jesus Christ Superstar": "If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation. Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication." The announcement of such an important event as the birth of our Savior to shepherds, and the shepherds' subsequent announcement to all, is akin to having a homeless man in the streets of Port-au-Prince calling the Associated Press to let them know that there was a major earthquake in Haiti. It just doesn't make sense. Of course, to those who have been quickened by His Spirit, however, it reveals God's great mystery (Col. 2:2 ESV). "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise..." (I Cor. 1:27-29 ESV).

The "unremarkable" situation of our Savior’s birth stands as a distinct event in the course of God's plan for our redemption: through all of the prophecies of Old Testament prophets in the past, to the future (and what will be the subject of these posts in the weeks to come) in His perfect life, substitutionary atonement, resurrection, and glorification. The announcement of our Savior's birth is contrary to what we as humans in our sinfulness would consider as relevant to history (or even our own lives). In reality, it is even greater evidence that God will glorify His name in the manner which He determines. And, that's not usually the way that we would imagine that it should be accomplished: "… a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory" (I Cor. 2:7 ESV).

In this Lenten season, as believers in God's great mystery, we can take great comfort in the assurance that God works all things according to the "counsel of his will" (Eph 1:11 ESV), not the least of which was the birth of our Savior.

by Rich Cromwell